A Hogwarts Diary: Alternate Sorcerer's Stone
by AlexZander StormCrow
Summary: This is my own little version of the series. Please feel free to read and review...A full disclaimer and Authors Note for first Chapter. HpHG,DMBAP,RWLL,NLGW,AlPCG
1. Bk 01 Prologue Boy Who Lived

Disclaimer: This fic is purely fantasy. It has not happened, though if one believes in multiple realties, perhaps it has. For your benefit, and my legal obligation, the obligatory shall now be spoken: I DO NOT OWN THIS! JOE ROWLING OWNS HARRY POTTER! Thanks. Now, please reply. Thank you again.

A/N: I wrote this when I thought long and particularly hard on the problems of Harry Potter. The whole injustice I felt towards his treatment at the Dursley's hand, and Albus' blind eye to his suffering. To me, Sirius and Remus seemed better candidates, but then you have Albus not lifting a finger to save Sirius from twelve years of imprisonment in hell. As I ramble on, let me point out that those characters who are additions to this fic, an Alternate Universe of the main cannon, they do belong to me, at least the secondary main character, named after yours truly…At least in first name alone. The rest belong to Graciloo, who I hope will not harm me when or if he finds out I am using his characters without permission. Please, don't harm me…Too badly.. :)

P.S. A/N: I've decided to omit the whole Elemental powers entirely, as a caring reviewer has pointed out to me, it puts a child into too much of a position for power abuse. This shouldn't change much. Alex is now merely an exceptionally gifted child, no more powerful than Snape or James or Sirius when they were at Hogwarts. Thanks…

And now, on with the show…For your entertainment and pleasure…

A Hogwarts Diary:  
HARRY POTTER & ALEXANDER PRINCE  
Alternate Sorcerer's Stone

By Zodiac Phoenix

(Original Cannon Material by J.K. Rowling)

Prologue

To say Sirius Black was nervous would be an understatement. He was beyond nervous. He was out of his bleeding mind with worry. The light of his life, Evelyn Prince, was having a complication to her month overdue son, whose birth had been delayed via a modified draught of sleepless death that she had taken because of some silly prophesy that the Dark Lord was believing.

He glanced with some trepidation and fear at his best friend, his closest mate, a blood brother who he had been with through seven short years of school and he was already feeling both excited and fearful for the man. They were now in their early twenties, and the man was a proud father of two. Fraternal twins. Lily was with the girl down the hall, in a permanent ward for expecting mothers and mothers who wished to stay for a while before returning home. Lily had refused pain killers, believing them harmful to her children. Amanda was the name of the girl, after Lily's great grandmother Amanda Evans, who was a nurse in the first great muggle war, World War One.

It seemed almost fitting that James would name his son after his father, who was strangely absent.

"Where is John when you need him?" Remus asked almost nervously. Even though a full moon was nearing, the werewolf wanted to be here for his best mate. Together they were a tight knit group from their school days by the name of the Marauders. Remus had been awarded the status of Prefect, in the very vein hopes of reigning in his two friends, but the man was too laid back. He spoke out against what they did, but did little else. Sirius had always thought the man a little whipped. He growled at Sirius as he walked back and forth, trying to wear a path in the marble flooring.

"Would you stop?" Remus finally snapped.

"What?" Sirius asked. "I can't help it…They've been in there for nearly an hour."

"She'll be fine, Padfoot…" James said, not looking up as he bottle fed a baby Harry, whose brilliant emerald eyes stared up at them with such innocence it was almost heartbreaking. His small hands grabbed James' nose, making the young man chuckle softly.

"What is so funny?" Sirius snapped irritably.

"I think he likes my nose…" James said slightly muffled, making playful biting motions at Harry's tiny arm. The boy reluctantly let go, turning his pure green gaze to Sirius, who felt his own body tremble. In just a few short hours, perhaps he'd be looking into the willing eyes of his own son. He and Evelyn had silver blue eyes, so it was almost assured he'd have a silver pair of eyes. Hopefully. Her fathers' brother, a man named Montgomery Monty had been in there with her, offering his strength to her when the contractions had sent Sirius outside as the Medi-witches delivered the child. He wondered what the matter was when a pair of people appeared that made him frown. Severely.

"Snivelly at six o'clock…" Sirius growled. James snapped his head up, smiling as his eyes connected with Dumbledore. The man almost enthusiastically ran over, proudly holding up his son, who giggled and made groping motions at Albus' rather bulbous nose and half moon glasses. The man wiggled a finger at the boy, smiling as he studied the boy. The other man, however was staring at Sirius, and the door beyond, with some amount of undisguised disgust. He could only imagine what was going on behind his greasy locks. He just hoped the man would refrain from doing anything that invited him to hex the man. He already suspected Severus heavily of being a Death Eater who as leaking information. He wasn't alone, but Snape had also cast doubt upon him, pointing out all the times that Sirius was 'conveniently' missing during attacks, only to show up with reinforcements.

"What is he doing here?" Sirius asked, his look of disgust turned to Snape. "You aren't welcome…I thought she and I made that pretty clear to you…"

"I can go wherever I do not wish, Black…neither you nor my foolish cousin can tell me where I can or can't go…" he said in a hissing voice. It caused Harry to start crying, making the man wince, staring at the child with loathing.

"You're scaring him, Severus…" James gently chastised him. "Come here, Harry…Don't worry…This man will be your Potions teacher when you go to Hogwarts…" he held Harry so that he could see Severus, who tried to smile, but it came out in a disgusted grimace, making the boy start balling again. James muffled a laugh as he shrugged, his eyes thanking the man mutely as he vanished into a room where Lily was. Snape stood at the door, while Dumbledore tired, and failed to console Sirius' nervous mind.

"Do not worry…I'm sure its just a minor complication…Your son shall be fine, Sirius…Look, here comes the Medi-wizard now."

Snape turned and walked over, standing behind Dumbledore as the man in question appeared from the room. He looked nervous, and he nodded to them.

"Are you the father?": He asked, looking at Sirius.

"Yes…How is she? Is my son alright?" He started asking. The man nodded.

"There is a…slight…problem…He has fallen into a temporary coma…We don't know what caused it…We suspect the odd mark on his cheek is the root of the problem. But we can't find any magical residue…"

"Let me see her…" Sirius demanded. The man sighed, standing aside as Sirius rushed in. James appeared, cradling a baby girl as Lily slowly emerged from the room, a hospital gown and a loose bathrobe around her, Harry in her hand, clutched to her breast. She weakly greeted Dumbledore, who felt a sharp pain of sympathy, seeing her so weak from a dual birth, something that would tax any mother.

"How are you holding up, Lily?" He asked. "You look tired."

"I feel tired…" She whispered. "Its been nearly a week, Albus…I thought you said it wouldn't be like this."

"It is typical for the drained feeling of birth to continue for a week, two at most, for most normal pregnancies…" Snape said, drawing himself up and looking proud. "I would say with the dual birth, you continue to feel this way for at least a month. A common strengthening potion and sleeping draught at night will get you back on your feet within a few weeks time."

"Thank you, Severus." She smiled, weakly pulling her husband away from the door. "What's going on?"

She peered in, seeing Evelyn asleep as Sirius and Monty were deep in a whispered conversation. Sirius seemed upset about something, and stormed off as Monty seemed to make something apparent to him.

When Sirius ignored Remus and James' calls, Remus trailed after him, James walking in with a weak wife and Albus and Snape. Albus' eyes were drawn, almost immediately, to the child. As the doctor had said, he had a strange birthmark. It was on his right cheek, somewhere between his jaw line and just central over his cheekbone. It was shaped almost like crescent moon, a thick and slender C that outlined an invisible moon. A small star shaped dimple or scar was in the center of the nearly whole crescent circle. Snape peered almost intently at it, his face one of confusion.

Lily placed Harry near the baby when Snape straightened, glancing at the unconscious cousin of his, before nodding to Monty and exiting, his face troubled.

"I believe he is concerned his son may be the one the prophesy spoke of…" Monty said, slowly taking a draw from his smoking pipe, the sweet scented smoke calming the raw nerves of James and calming Albus' ever working mind.

"I thought…" James started, stopping as he glanced between Monty and Albus. Monty had been the one, along with his father John, to collect the spoken Prophesy, naming one of six possible children to be the candidate for Voldemort's ultimate doom. Of course, three were dismissed. They were in America or somewhere else, and were only distant possibilities. Three in particular, two whom were nearly side by side, were the most probably of candidates for Voldemort to choose. The other one, the new son of Alice and Frank Longbottom, was being nursed in a separate room, Alice hopefully long asleep. Albus wanted to protect all three parents, and had spoken with each about the possibility of hiding with the powers of the Fidelus charm. Only two had taken the offer.

The Longbottoms, being a proud pure blooded family, refused to hide. They would face the dangers. They, however, were the only ones. Evelyn was already being 'hid' because of her cousin. The man wasn't as much a danger to her as the fact that they were related. She had bonded with Sirius, even though a few years separated them in age, and when she graduated, had put off her training as a Medi-witch to be with Sirius. Now here she was, fast asleep, her son's fate balanced on the tipped scales of Fate.

It seemed injustice that any of the three would have to suffer such a horrible fate. But it seemed Fate had big plans in store for the one whom Voldemort would attack. He would supposedly have powers the Dark Lord knew not. And right now, at least to Dumbledore, he had inkling he knew who that child was. And right now, he was lying on the bed before him fighting for his life.

* * *

"Lily!" James' shouts broke her gaze from her slumbering cherubs. She looked up, her heart in her throat as she heard her husband scream for her to take the two and run. _He_ was here.

"JAMES!" She screamed, leaping in front of the crib as the nursery door was blasted open, a quivering, watery eyed man bowing at the robe hems of the worst wizard alive, Voldemort.

"No…" She moaned, watching Voldemort levitate James dead body to her feet, the look of his mangled, once handsome face and upper body making her sob, breaking down.

"You can join him, if you wish…" Voldemort said softly. "But I didn't come here to kill you…Jus hand them over, Lily…We don't have to sacrifice any more innocent blood this night."

"Is that what you said when you murdered the Prewitts?" She demanded. "Gideon and Fabeon?" She felt tears of fear and rage welling in her. "You're a monster!"

"That may be so…" He said, his snake like face curling into a hideous caricature of a grin, making her tremble in fear. "Now…The children, Lily…"  
"No…" She sobbed brokenly.

"I do not intend to kill you, but I will if you don't stand aside."

"Not them… Please not them… NOT THEM!" Lily sobbed, forcing herself to stand between her aggressor and her children.

"STAND ASIDE!" Voldemort said forcibly!" Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside, now…."

"Not them…please…Take me instead…Kill me…."

Voldemort's lip curled as he suddenly brought his wand up.

"Not them…please…have mercy…have mercy…" Lily's broken sobs were cut off as a green light struck her. Peter Pettigrew, once friend to the now dead Potters, sobbed softly as he watched his master halt momentarily. There was a glimmer of light that surrounded both infants. He turned his wand to Harry first.

"This is the last time I shall ever have to be troubled with your shadow again, dear boy…" he hissed. His drew himself up, his wand swishing down.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort screamed, feeling his soul break as the spell struck the boy squarely in the forehead. He laughed coldly at his triumph. But when the green light suddenly came rebounding back, he gave a strangled scream of pain.

"WHAT IS THIS MAGIC!" He screamed. Peter gave a frightened pull on his master's robes as the man slowly and ungracefully fell to his knees, his entire body trembling, green light running in tiny cracks across his body as he screamed his last. His body exploded with more force than a muggle stick of TNT, showering Peter with bits of Dark Lord as the torso and headless thing fell onto the ground. He gave a strangled sob, his face full of fear and awe as took in the passive face of the baby Harry. He lay there for what felt like hours, until he got the strength to crawl over and retrieve his master's wand…

The house was slowly falling apart, a failed attempt by someone to destroy it and kill what was left of the Potter family. Hagrid, having received a note revealing the location to him by Dumbledore, had burst through the front door like a muggle fireman, braving falling timber and smoke and ash to retrieve both the bodies and the babies.

By the time he emerged, his pink umbrella sending the dead forward of him with their invisible guard, he appeared very somber, seeing the strangled sobs escaping Sirius Black and Severus Snape, both of who were with Albus Dumbledore.

"Than it is done than…" He murmured. He drew over and looked down at Harry. A lightning bolt scar bled freely, a fresh sign of the Prophesy. But what of Alexander Prince? What part would he still play in this? And Neville Longbottom?

"Why…" Sirius moaned, hovering over both bodies, crying quietly. "Why you, James? Why not me?" He sobbed. "You don't deserve this. I do. I deserve this punishment…"

"Sirius…" Albus said, trying to draw the man away. He wasn't budging. "Hagrid…Quickly, the Muggles shall arrive soon."

"Yes, sir, Professor Dumbledore sir…" Hagrid handed Albus both children, then reached down to put both of his hands on Sirius' shoulder, but the man shook them off. A feat in itself, considering they were both the size of trash can lids.

"Peter…" he murmured quietly. When Albus looked at Sirius, he saw a man on the last threads of sanity. "I'll kill him. I'm going to KILL THAT BLOODY TRAITOR!" Sirius roared, but Hagrid had him in a restricting grip as he tried to make a dash for his bike.

"Calm down, Sirius…" Albus said, giving Hagrid a thankful look. "Please…You may lead the search for your friend…Right now we must bury one…."

Sirius fell to his knees again, sobbing as he clutched James' unmoving body, his blood brother dead. Gone.

* * *

The funeral was very sad indeed as Albus committed both Lily and James Potter to the sad little graveyard of the Order, which sat a mile from the village of Hogsmeade and near the school. It was covered in the anti-Apparation zone, and all the headstones held permanent wards against any abuse of the honorable dead to Dark Arts related evils. This was one of the most well protected graves sites, reserved for those who gave themselves to a great cause. Sirius had been the one to deliver the eulogy. It was sad. Filled with bitter sweet memories and very little laughter. The man had lost his wife, his child, and now his best friend and possibly his god son. Albus had already considered the Dursleys, distant relatives of the Potters, for the twins to be sent to. The patriarch of the Dursleys, Petunia Dursley, was Lily's sister, and her blood would play a part in an ancient blood shield charm he had in mind, but already, Sirius was fighting him on it, using whatever means he could to rest from his old grip the custody of the Potter twins.

He swore under a solemn oath under the effect of Vertiserum that he hadn't been the one to betray the Potters, still throwing Peter in the light of shame. Snape merely considered this trickery, but as the man had proved through all means he could, that he was innocent, the Ministry had decided to go on James and Lily's last will, which was being sorted through by the goblins at Gringotts, who knew that the will spoke of Remus and Sirius being the twins' god parents, should anything untoward happen to them.

Albus had tired to tell him about the blood charm, but Sirius waved it off, pointing to the fact that Voldemort was dead. No one could come back from that. And since Albus didn't know to what lengths Voldemort had driven himself to obtain his twisted goals of Immortality, he couldn't on begin to imagine that this wasn't the last that they would see of the dreaded Dark Lord Voldemort. For now; celebration and laughter, toasts to Lily and James. And to Harry. The-Boy-Who-Lived…

* * *

Evelyn Prince was perhaps the one to take their deaths the hardest. She was a close friend to Lily, as inseparable from her at school as Sirius and James were. It seemed only natural that both boys would court both girls, and Sirius found her as irresistible as James found Lily. She had only been in first year when they were in their third, and they had left during her fifth, but Sirius kept returning to the school, trying to win her love when her heart was split. When Alexander was born, Sirius had left her. He had proposed to marry her before they had consummated their personal vows. They were to be married to seal the deal. Then Alexander happened. A bolt of the blue that made her and Sirius happy. But something must have upset him, and he distanced himself. He stayed with Lily and James more, and when the time came, he left her, crying and broken, at the place where they had lived for a barely a year together to go chasing after Peter and when she had shown up here, to stay with Monty in fear, he broke the news.

Lily and James didn't survive the attack. Young Harry was the boy who survived where so many had died. How? How could he live when her own gut told her no one could survive that? Albus of course feared it would be her son? So why not him?

Her son was like most baby boys. A tad selfish, hogging the blankets when she slept with him curled up on her bed, an always brightly smiling child when she looked at him. He was small for a baby, but he never seemed to cry. He did, but not as often as one might have thought. She also found that he had some sort of natural mental shields, which pushed her away when he began crying. The fear she felt coming off him at times made her sob to herself, but always she kept a happy gaze for her son. She had been the fool to trust Sirius. But her son wasn't to blame. He was as innocent as a unicorn. He wasn't to blame for anything…

Monty walked in, carrying a steaming mug of something that smelled faintly of chamomile. "Would you like something to calm your nerves, sweet heart?" he asked, his Scottish accent making her smile as she nodded, sitting up. For a Scots men, he was very kind, his spectacles perched, like Albus', on his nose. His short black beard and well brushed hair held back in a ponytail made him look distinctively cultured. Which he was. But he was as strong a definition of the Gryffindors as anyone could ever meet.

"Thank you…" She whispered, taking a strong draft of the tea as she smiled, curling her feet in. Monty's special hand-made tea mixtures always warmed her, heart and soul, and had the calming effect she always liked. She brushed her tears away, holding the mug up in a silent toast as Monty held his pipe up, making her laugh quietly in spite of herself. The man could always bring a smile to anyone's lips no matter if they were angry or sad. Not that he didn't have his share of those emotions too often. Like Albus, he somehow knew how to grin and bear it, no matter the challenge. He gave a long draft on his pipe, sitting down.

"So what do you say to my proposition?" He asked, his eyes sparkling as she ran her hand through the glossy raven locks of her one year old infant, who was playing with an animated lion, who had a pair of wings with which to taunt her baby boy. He chased it around, pouncing on it whenever the lion would stop to let the child pet him.

"I'd love to accept it, but you know what Albus said, Monty…I have to take one thing at a time…Plus, what about Alexander…I have to look to him…If I leave the Order, I could always turn my attention back to my passion…Perhaps get my Medi-witch license."

"Perhaps work with your father's brother…" he murmured, smiling as she gave him a pointed look. "I understand your displeasure with the Ministry, my dear, but you must understand that there are things people shouldn't know, no matter how important they may seem…"

"If you knew what Albus has told me…Has entrusted to my mind…" She shook her head, her throat constricting as she thought about it. "Maybe he'll be safe with our new Order…" She whispered.

"Around that many werewolves…" he shrugged, nodding his head from sight. "It is up to you. Just remember, that he is my grandson. I would like to see him from time to time, Evelyn…"

"You will, Monty…" She said, standing and sighing. She collected both son and toy, a present from his now late father. She felt a tingle of sadness as she saw the headline, "SIRIUS BLACK: INNOCENCE OF ALL CHARGES!" on the late edition of the Evening Prophet. She hadn't read it, but she doubted it. She used her wand to summon her day pack, slipping it over her shoulder as she followed Monty to his door.

She placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Don't worry, Monty…The time may come for use to rejoin the Order, but for now, my son must come first. His safety and fate may very well still be tied with Voldemort and Harry Potter."

"Too true…" He sighed. "Good luck…" He called as she ran out into the driving rain, like the heaven was weeping, mourning the loss as she cast impervious charms on herself, her son, and his toy lion. Then she went to the end of the drive, turning in place as she vanished with the faintest of cracks.

Just as she disapparated, his fireplace roared emerald green. Sighing, he sat down, making what was left of his tea and mixing in some of his personal fine brandy, offering it to Albus.

"Has she gone, then?" He asked curiously. Monty firmly nodded, his sparkling dark eyes on the floor. "Very well…"

He held up his goblet at the same time Monty did.

As once the murmured: "To Harry Potter!"


	2. Trip to Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: This fic is purely fantasy. It has not happened, though if one believes in multiple realties, perhaps it has. For your benefit, and my legal obligation, the obligatory shall now be spoken: I DO NOT OWN THIS! JOE ROWLING OWNS HARRY POTTER! Thanks. Now, please reply. Thank you again.

And now, on with the show…For your entertainment and pleasure…

A Hogwarts Diary:  
HARRY POTTER & ALEXANDER PRINCE  
Alternate Sorcerer's Stone

By Zodiac Phoenix

Chapter One

Harry sat up with a gasp. He was just dreaming. No way would a giant be able to ride a flying motorbike. He blinked, sighing as he looked outside.

The sound of blue jays, the babbling brook somewhere in the forest beyond their dismally small village, and of course, the bitter sweet smell of ocean somewhere in the distance. They weren't far from the coast. Not that that mattered much. Remus and Sirius kept a relatively tight leash on his sister and him for a while.

He was ten, and had the lean and toned body of a boy who did nothing but play Quidditch almost every waking moment, whenever he wanted to escape a boring lesson of Remus' or a prank of Sirius which generally misfired onto himself. Of course, they were well received in the village. No body stared like they did in London. He placed both cold feet onto his floor, feeling his head swim as the window opened and in crept a boy from the village. He was Harry's age, and he had taken an almost unnecessary infatuation with his sister, Amanda, whom he found as boring at times as Remus could be. Not that she didn't have her share in the fun. She could hold her own in a pillow fight, and had few ticklish spots to speak of, at least out loud in a house full of tickle torturers like Sirius and Harry.

They had taken on one more, a young blonde haired boy named Draco Malfoy, who they had found just outside the village Apparation wards around the house, strangling on something almost invisible. Sirius had of course saved the boy, being his nephew from the terrible pure blooded family of Malfoys. He was now Draco Lucius Malfoy Black, and an official Bandit Marauder, as Harry called their cute little trio of mischief making. It seemed young Draco wasn't too terribly inclined with pranking someone, and once they got over their frosty indifference, he became as good as gold with them. He was only seven when they found him, and that was three years ago. They had to do a bit of 'deprogramming' as Sirius called it, and Draco was willing to forget his family in the face of a warmer, more open and caring family, no matter what people thought.

Lucius had, of course, been lying when he swore before the Wizengomet about being 'hoodwinked' by Voldemort. He had the gold and popularity to stay out of Azkaban, but when Draco was placed before the court a few years back, his bruises and bleeding cuts displayed to the shocked people, Narcissa and Lucius both were placed in side by side cells next to their cousin Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband. It didn't take much persuasion by Sirius to get the boy to come live with him, as he was, after all, the boy's only relative.

The time they had spent together was bitter sweet, as today they would be receiving their letters and go off to be swept up in the frenzy of shopping while the house mother, Remus, stayed behind to make sure their stuff got along fine.

"Awake yet, sleepy head?" Draco asked, stopping just short to scowl at the boy. "What are you doing here, Darion?"

"What?" The boy laughed, falling inward and grunting as he made a graceful attempt to stand and brush it off. "You can chase away true love!"

"Its not true love…" Draco snorted, Harry nodding as he took out a set of clothes, even tossing Draco what he had come to borrow, a pair of slacks, as most of his jeans tended to get dirty, what with the games he and Harry got into when they were bored. They thought alike, and both were competent most in the game of Quidditch.

"Look…" He glanced around. "I just wanted to giver her this…" he held up of a flower, one which looked suspiciously from his mother's garden. "You get your letter yet, Potter?" He asked, smiling as Harry threw something at his head. It came fluttering back, the golden Snitch having avoided the exit as it was charmed to.

Draco merely smirked, letting Harry take the shower first, even though he had the terrible habit of taking all the hot water. But by the sounds of it, Sirius had beaten Harry to the punch. Draco merely sighed. He hated cold showers. They made him shiver, and he didn't want anything but the warmth of his thoughts and family.

"What's the matter?" Darion asked, taking a step forward and looking at Draco. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah…Fine…Just imagining another cold shower…" Draco muttered. "Amanda is in her room…She'll probably give you a very kick to your head…or arse…Doesn't bother me much…" He padded away, his green pj's shifting as he stretched and scratched at his bottom.

Darion merely rolled his eyes. _Boys these days_, he thought, snickering. He had already received his letter, being a relative of Dumbledore's. More precisely, he was the ancient man's great grand son.

"HARRY!" Sirius' voice was calling.

"In the shower, Mr. Black…" Darion said, knocking on Amanda's door.

"Darion, I don't think she wants to see you…" Sirius said.

"Why is that?" He asked, pouting.

"Maybe that toad you chucked at her…Or was it a rock?" Draco asked dryly.

"That was last year!" He said, sniffing rather indignantly as the door cracked open before slamming close. Amanda's clearly muffled voice made Darion glare at the door.

"GO AWAY DEMETRIUS! I don't have anything to say to you!"

"Come on, Amanda!" Darion said desperately. "It was an accident!"

The door was yanked open, and Amanda stood, dressed in muggle clothes that made her dark red haired beauty become amplified. She had a blouse and bell bottoms on, her dark hair being held back by a number of plastic colored pins. It was her green eyes that made Darion weak kneed.

"Well…I…Um…" He stammered, Draco trying and failing to contain his sniggering laughter. Harry appeared, bathrobe clutched shut as he scampered to his room. Draco slipped inside, his clothes tucked under his arm.

Sirius sighed, shaking his head. With three mouths to feed and no job that he could hold for more than a month, Sirius began to fall back on his family gold, something he was rather disgusted about doing, as he knew that it was somehow tainted with pure blooded fascism. He had recently acquired a shop, and was selling joke products.

"If you want to say something to me, you shouldn't have chucked a toad at me!" She said forcibly shoving him against the wall and standing barely a foot away, her hand barely inches, balled into a fist with one jabbing with accusation as she began to pick at him, her voice rising until Harry and Sirius dragged her away.

Remus was working on something as they entered, Sirius tenuously watching a pan of frying bacon, his eyes glancing every so often towards Remus, who seemed very engrossed with the Daily Prophet. Harry and Amanda snorted to themselves, if it was one thing you did not trust Sirius to do, it was cook. The man had been horrendous at potions. His skills at the culinary trade were just as abysmal. Though, Remus was moderately better, his potion skills just as bad but he knew how to cook, probably because he had to live so much of his early life alone, or around Sirius and James. Sirius seemed ready to jump when Darion stepped over to help him.

"Here…Let me…" Darion sighed, Sirius thanking him as he sat down to nurse a cup of strong tea.

"So where are those letters?" Harry asked, looking around with obvious disappointment.

"They'll come. I believe McGonagall said today the P's were going out…" He smiled.

"Q's or R's?" Darion snorted. Remus fixed him with a look before shaking his head.

"I'd have thought she sends them all out…" Harry said, pouring some milk into his porridge.

"She does…Only in blocks of Last name in alphabetical order. She started a few weeks ago after all the letters were done." Remus pointed out. "Look, here they come…"

A pair of owls swooped through the open door, swinging through the air to avoid the fan and dropping four letters onto the table. Then they took off, hooting to one another. Darion leaned with the frying pan out of the way so they couldn't add anything to the eggs and bacon.

"Well…Looks like he's sent your letter, Darion…Wonder what took him so long…" Harry murmured, pinwheeling it to the boy, who caught it with mitten hands.

"Looks like our family vault has been opened, as well…" Amanda said, shaking her envelope and catching the tiny golden key that fell out. Draco looked at it, his face drawing a bit. Sirius merely shrugged.

"We can all draw from it, if you want…Not like your father was poor or anything…"

Harry and Amanda shrugged, nodding. It was true. The Potter clan had been one of the richest, and had many houses across the face of England, which they visited with their grandfather, Harry John Potter, who was head of the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic.

"This lot looks a tad expensive…" Darion said, smirking when Sirius' foot connected with his shin, making him yelp and glare at Sirius.

"Would you quit…Why don't you go home, kid?" Sirius growled. "I doubt your parents are worried sick, as you seem to find our house more attractive than your own."

"Yeah…The people inside my house are very cheerful…" He said with sarcasm. His parents were a pair of shop owners of a local Apothecary.

"Fine…The bacon is going to burn anyway…" He muttered, sneaking one as Sirius swatted him out.

* * *

Alex groaned in his bed, rolling over when a soft depression on his mattress made him growl. A hand fell on his shoulder, and he wanted to lash out.

"Come on…" A soft young female voice spoke. "You have to wake up, Alexander…"

"TONKS!" Alex finally lost it, launching himself at the seventeen year old, tackling her onto the bed, beating her up with his pillow. She fended him off, tickling him as he tried to smother her with the down feathers.

"I hate to interrupt," A slightly deeper, softer feminine voice spoke. "But my son has a letter addressed to him."

"Hey, mom…" Alex panted. He sat up, Tonks smiling as she tossed the pillow and dragged the squirming bundle of deep ruby over to her side. "Thanks…" He snatched the letter, resting back against Tonks' warm body as she played with his glossy raven hair.

"My Hogwarts letter!" He announced happily. Evelyn smiled, nodding, winking at Tonks who had only recently graduated. She was staying with them as a babysitter for a while until she could arrange for her Auror training to begin.

"Open it up…" Tonks smiled, wrapping her arms about his torso as Evelyn sat next to her, one hand holding a mug of steaming coffee, the other resting gently on Tonks' shoulder. "

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

----------------------------------------

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(_Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards_)

"Wooh…When did he get an Order of Merlin?" Alex asked in awe.

"Grendelwald…" Tonks murmured. Evelyn nodded.

"I won't be surprised if Harry receives one when he comes of age, a bit of a belayed birthday present. He deserves it." Evelyn mused, regretting it as the words left her mouth. She covered it as Alex began frowning, his face hardening. It wasn't enough that the boy and his 'family' came to visit during the Christmas holidays, a tradition for the dissolved Order of Phoenix, and it was Evelyn's new job to 'hold down the fort' until they would need it again, Dumbledore's conviction that he would return great enough to make everyone nervous when they got together. She sighed to herself. As much as she loved her son, Harry would always somehow put him in a bad mood. The fact that the boy was the reason he had no father was something she found must have irritated him to no end. And the fact Sirius always ended up trying to make him somehow made her angry to. Remus kept the tensions from flaring, but she could never forgive Sirius, who tried very hard to keep himself in company around her, as he must have feared her relation to Snape would put him in some sort of mortal peril.

"What else does it say?" Tonks asked, gently steering him away from doing something foolish, since he had been trained to use his powers to a better degree than most wizards. This was because he was, as Evelyn loved to remind him, a special child. He was an easy learner, and was able to perform a few basic spells wandlessly. He continued to read it aloud: "

Dear Mr. Prince,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

You're sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

_Deputy Headmistress_

"What are we going to do?" Alex asked. "It's a day after the due date…"

"Don't worry…" Evelyn smiled. "If I know our favorite headmaster, he'll take you in whether or not your owl is received. I'll go send one just in case…" she smiled.

"Be careful…" Alex said to her. "He's a very nosy old goat!"

She smiled, giggling and nodding as Tonks snorted into his neck, slowly getting up and lifting him off the ground. The boy struggled in her strong, if clumsy grip until he found her side and tickled. She let go of him, giving him time to run off towards the bathroom, Tonks trailing after him with some clothes she had summoned from his dresser. She left them on the counter as she headed for the kitchen, helping set the table up, albeit very clumsily. Evelyn had to catch her from dousing the eggs with pumpkin juice.

"Just sit down, Tonks…" Evelyn smiled as the girl sat down, sighing.

"How am I ever going to get into the Auror Department?" She moaned, her head hitting the table, being padded by her right hand. The other was playing with her blouse. "I can't even set the table without tripping."

"You just need to focus, morning bird…" Evelyn siad, sitting down and hugging the young girl. She was her cousin, as she was something related to the Tonks through the Blacks, and not because of Sirius.

"I'm trying…" She pouted. Evie smiled, placing a warm kiss on her forehead.

"Well, I think Cyrus may be willing to help you if you wish…" Evelyn said as Cyrus Auden walked in, and turned, trying to walk out again.

"Cyrus!" Evelyn laughed. "Come back here!"

"That girl's trouble!" Cyrus laughed, sitting down and playfully pouting as Tonks tried not to cry. "If she does make it through the training, it'll be sheer dumb luck…"

Tonks dark violet hair slowly turned mousy brown and her heart shaped face seemed to crack as she stumbled away from the table, crashing into Quinn as she ran from the room.

Evelyn sighed, fixing Cyrus with an angry glare. Alex appeared, glancing around before sitting down.

"What did you do now?" Alex asked tonelessly.

"Nothing!" Cyrus said, frowning at Evelyn, who was trying to contain her laughter as she shook silently with laughter. Quinn ruffled Alex's hair as he sat down, causing the chair to groan at his girth.

"Careful!" Evelyn giggled. "Sounds like the chair is objecting."

Quinn merely childishly stuck his tongue out at her, turning his nose up as he topped a great omelet on his plate with bacon, relish, and some tomato sauce. Evelyn had to refer from gagging as the man bit into it. Quinn had to have the worst taste in toppings imaginable. He was also prone to bets, some making her cringe to even thing about.

"Who am I going with to get my stuff?" Alex asked as he bit into a half folded piece of bread that contained marmalade, bacon, and eggs. Disgusting, of course, but a sad product of being around the giant lycanthrope for so long. Monty watched him mutely, smiling as Evelyn sighed, shaking her head.

"I'll go with you, if you wish, Alexander..." Monty said in his Scottish accent. "I need to get a few things, and it'll give you a chance to see the better parts of the alley most children your age never see."  
Evelyn's face went from smiling and twinkling to cold and vacant.

"You are not putting my child down _that _side of the alley, Monty..." She said in a deadly quiet voice.

"Now hold on!" He said, smiling and holding up his hand, the other grasping his pipe. "I'm merely going down the right side of the street, love, not that street!" He smiled.

She nodded, smiling and sighing.

"I can go with you..." Quinn said, sticking his tongue out at Evelyn as she shook her head. "I'm a very intimidating person..."

"Gee...Thanks..." Alex pouted.

"Have fun, my little raven..." She laughed, ruffling his hair again as he finished up and went to collect his traveling things. These included a dagger, for a measure of protection, a compass, a length of rope that was charmed to bear even Quinn's massive weight, and a piece of string charmed to be an emergency Portkey should they come across any danger. He looped a beautiful leather satchel, one with Celtic designs around the edges and on the flap, the image of a rampant griffon one he had been working on for weeks. It was a side project of his, Evelyn promising to get him a bag for school he could doodle and work on. Alex had the innate curiosity to create, something that one might not consider a child would be able to do at such a young age.

A thick pair of heavy leather boots and kid gloves, he was ready to go. He tied a red bandana with gold designs over his black locks, smiling at his rather roguish image in the hall mirror. Monty smiled, pulling on his long leather trench coat and Quinn pulled on a breastplate of suede like black leather that would deflect quite a few low level or powered spells. Over it he pulled a sweater, one she had so miserably created. She winced at it, frowning at him as he grinned wolfishly at her. They departed, Evelyn standing and waving as Alex placed himself between Monty and Quinn as they headed for the safety of the forest...

* * *

Harry looked around as he caught his sister, belched from the marble fireplace as emerald flames danced in the grit and massive pit.

"Draco behind you?" Harry asked, the both catching the stumbling boy as he literally fell from the flames. He grinned sheepishly, thanking them as they brushed each other and themselves off. Harry smirked as he swatted at Amanda's butt, claiming she had a patch of ash back there. She merely slugged him in the arm. Hard.

"Ouch!" Harry laughed as Draco sniggered and Sirius stepped from the flames, brushing what little remained of the ash from his robes as he took the lead, smiling and greeting people they passed. He seemed to know a few, but people mostly saw his image from ten years ago and waved at him. Harry felt himself become self conscious as eyes took in his face, the scar, and his company, Sirius, his sister, and Draco.

They followed Sirius to the snowy white building of the Wizarding Bank, Gringotts.

"I need to make a withdrawal…" Sirius told the nearest goblin in the lobby. Harry and Amanda looked around, Draco self consciously playing with his platinum blonde hair, which made him stand out in the family where everyone had dark hair.

Harry smiled as he watched a giant appear, with a tall, cultured man, and frowned at the raven haired, red bandana wearing boy who was between them.

"Alex..." Harry whispered. Draco turned and glared at the boy, who glared back, his hand falling to the 'rabbit killer' as Harry had called it, more a survival knife than a real dagger. A butcher's knife was larger than the dagger, which was concealed under the boy's long sleeve white shirt and red short sleeve over it, with the gold griffon on it.

"What's up?" Sirius asked, his face lighting up as he saw Quinn Altress and Montgomery Monty standing on either side of Alexander. He greeted the big man, who was asking about something to the goblin, who nodded.

* * *

Alex stepped into the robe shop, feeling his body trembling. He had rarely come here, unlike Harry, Amanda and Draco. A rather homely woman greeted them as the door closed behind them.

"Hogwarts, dear?" She asked. Alex nodded. Monty was looking through some robes, smiling to himself. Quinn merely sat down, his big form not exactly melting into the darkness of the shop.

"Right…I have the lot here…There's a boy being done up just now in the back…" She said. Alex followed her to the back of the shop.

In the rear of the shop a boy with long auburn hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a pair of reading glasses greeted him mutely with a gentle incline of his head, trying to keep from looking down as the woman seemed to be delicately lacing needles into the thick material of the robes.

Alex climbed up onto the footstool she patted, holding his leather belt as she tugged gently at the robe she had pulled over his head.

"There…Now just stand still a minute while I talk with this customer." She stood and spoke with some people in the front, and Alex glanced around, finding Monty had appeared, leaning against the door, holding a beautiful sapphire blue dress robe.

"It's for your mother..." He smiled.

"Is it her birthday?" Alex asked, pouting. "I almost forgot."

"I'm sure you did." Monty chuckled softly. "I am sure Quinn will ask for your help picking something out."

The boy watched them curiously.

"Are you going to Hogwarts, too?" He asked. "My dad is a muggle who works for the Library of Oxford, and my mum is...I think she called herself a squib."

"A child born to Wizarding parents with no magical potential..." Monty nodded in sympathy. "I here that magic can skip a generation."

"So, have you thought of what you would like for your birthday, Alexander?" Monty asked politely. "It is in a few days, if I am correct."

"It is..." Alex smiled, frowning when Harry, Amanda and Draco appeared, turning away to glare forcibly at the wall.

"Hello, Montgomery...How are you?" Sirius asked, clearing his throat.

"I'm fine, Sirius...How is the shop?" Monty asked with a smile.

"It's doing fine..." Sirius said, glancing at his three young charges oddly. Alex merely snorted to himself.

"That's you done, dear…" Madame Malken said, tugging gently on Alex's robes. He hopped down, not removing the robe as she transferred the tailoring to a handful of other black robes, his required lot for school. He paid her for the purchase. Sirius merely smiled at him as he walked away, Quinn smiling to himself.

"Alright there, Alexander?" Quinn murmured as they entered the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts. Alex was about to reply when he accidently collided with someone. He started to apologize when his voice, and stomach, seemed to fade and stop working. Even his heart seemed to slow. His eyes slowly widened, his mouth gaping open.

Staring up at him with a slight frown was a beautiful young girl, about his age. He got to his feet, offering a hand. She took it, smiling at him shyly as he helped her collect the books she had scattered when they ran into each other. Alex felt his face flush as she thanked softly.

"Sorry about that…" Alex murmured. "I didn't really see where I was going…" he muttered.

"It's okay…" She whispered. "Thank you…" She smiled, turning and running off, after a tall man who was beckoning her to follow him. Alex looked down, seeing a beautiful pendant and a ribbon on the ground. He quickly retrieved them, but the girl and her father were gone. Monty appeared, holding his books.

"Way to go, Romeo…" Quinn whispered, laughing as Alex glared at him.

"Who is she?" Alex whispered, holding both the ribbon and the pendant. Alex looked down, examining the pendant. It was a seven pointed silver star decorated with Celtic knot work and a large sapphire in the center, tiny sapphires at the center of each point. He tucked both into his satchel, meaning to return them if they saw the two again.

They got their books, but could not find the girl, and thankfully, didn't run into Sirius or his small trio of 'rugrats' as Quinn fondly referred to them. They did the rest of their shopping rather quickly, Monty stopping at the shops he needed to while Quinn and Alex disappeared into The Magical Menagerie, reappearing with a baby wolf pup with two tails and faintly terrier features, who had a wagging tail as Alex gently locked a slender silver chain, letting Quinn tap his wand to the diamond of metal that dangled from the center of the chain. A name appeared, ORION NIMBUS, along with an address to contact and on the back, Alex's full name, ALEXANDER ORION PRINCE.

Their last stop was in a small shop with peeling letters over the doorway, pronouncing it to be Ollivanders: Providers of Fine Wands Since 287 B.C.

A tinkling bell sounded from somewhere deep within the shop as Alex cleared his throat to speak.

"Ahh…There you are…Yes…I've been waiting for you for sometime…" A soft voice spoke. A man seemed to appear out of thin air, barely a foot from Alex. The startled yelp elicited a chuckle from both Quinn and the man.

"Hello Oliver…Still selling wands?" Quinn asked.

"Your mother has requested I create a special wand for you, young master Prince…" The man said. "So today, I shall have you try out a few wands to gauge which wood to use with the feather and tail hair she has sent me."

"A dual core wand?" Quinn looked surprised. "Are you sure that it's safe to be giving a new student…" He stopped as Oliver focused his silver gaze upon the giant man.

"I would not recommend it, but it is your Lady's wish…So I shall honor it." He turned to Alex. "Now, young master…Which is your wand arm?"

* * *

Harry frowned, glancing back over his shoulder.

"What is wrong with that bloke?" He whispered. "He was just…"

"Creepy?" Amanda asked, nodding and shivering herself. Sirius merely chuckled, looking around and failing to see whatever it was he was looking for.

"They've probably gone, Sirius…" Harry nearly snapped, Draco nudging him as the man flushed, looking a tad ashamed.

"I don't know what your talking about Harry…" He said, clearing his throat as they reached the public floo access.

"Of course not…" Harry muttered, frowning darkly as they reached for the floo powder.


	3. Trip from Platform Nine & Three Quarters

Disclaimer: This fic is purely fantasy. It has not happened, though if one believes in multiple realties, perhaps it has. For your benefit, and my legal obligation, the obligatory shall now be spoken: I DO NOT OWN THIS! JOE ROWLING OWNS HARRY POTTER! Thanks. Now, please reply. Thank you again.

And now, on with the show…For your entertainment and pleasure…

A Hogwarts Diary:  
HARRY POTTER & ALEXANDER PRINCE  
Alternate Sorcerer's Stone

By Zodiac Phoenix

Chapter Two

The rest of their summer was spent in a mixture of studying, playing Quidditch, and visiting the beach. Amanda would go in a black swim suit to soak up the sun, making the boys playing on the beach gawk before sniggering and running away. Sirius would try to start a game of volleyball, Harry and Draco would merely hog it, trying to spike it. Darion would join eventually, and it was a game of two on two, which would usually end with Amanda chasing them towards the beach in anger, as someone would normally deposit some sand on her while diving for a flying volleyball.

When the week before they were to depart rolled around, they were packing their belongings into their trunks, Draco and Harry sharing a room because Remus and Sirius wanted to have a few rooms available for guests. Not that either boy minded. They listened to the same music on the Wireless, and their room was large enough for them to have impromptu fights over it, which normally was resolved with pillow fights Sirius would join in.

"Got everything packed?" Sirius asked the day before they had to leave.

"Yes, Sirius…" Amanda sighed. She looked around almost wistfully. "Gonna miss it here…" She sighed, curling up at the dinner table as Remus doted over a chocolate cake he had baking in the oven. When it was done, they all dug in, enjoying the simple thing before they turned in. The feelings unspoken still existed, even for Draco, who was quick to be drawn into the tight family circle. He didn't seem to feel excluded. He actually smiled when Remus shook his head at Sirius' bad jokes, and avoided Amanda's bedroom, as it usually had a flowery smell coming from it.

"Harry…" Draco whispered.

"Yeah, Draco?" Harry whispered back.

"Wonder what house I'll be in…" He whispered. Harry smiled, staring at his canopy.

"Do you really need to be told which house that'll be?" He giggled. "You and Amanda are Ravenclaws…"

Draco made a noise of disgust.

"I am no darn Ravenclaw!" he cursed, throwing a pillow towards Harry's bed. Harry merely chuckled, tossing it back.

"Well, we could all end up in Gryffindor…You never know…"

"I just hope I don't get put in Slytherin, like my family has been in…" He sighed.

"Don't worry…We'll cause a big scene if you are…" Harry whispered. Draco didn't make any noise, but he had a feelign that Draco was appreciative. They fell asleep, listening to the chorus of crickets and night birds singing to a crescent moon.

* * *

Alex sat on the balcony, staring up at the stars. A book lay open before him, and he held in his hand the beautiful seven sided silver star pendant.

"That belong to someone?" Evelyn asked, appearing from his bedroom, a bathrobe wrapped about her. Alex was sitting on a chair lounge, a blanket draped over him. He nodded, studying it with some emotion.

"Where did you find it?" She asked, staring at it with wonder. A star jewel! The sheer worth of such a treasure was something to not be underestimated, but one with such beautiful stones set into it. Seven on the other edge, one in the center, with seven sides, and beautifully cut. She felt her head swim.

"I…" he started, stopping as he gulped. "I bumped into this…girl…At the book store when we went to get my things…I…I think she dropped them…The necklace was broken when I examined it…" He held up the slender, braided silver chain. It was indeed broken. At least at the clasp. It was bent at an odd angle, showing that a great force, such as a fall, had done the damage. She repaired it with a wave of her wand, gently pooling the cool silver chain in her hand before setting the star jewel on top of it.

"Well…if and when you see this girl next…Make sure you give it right back to her…These aren't very common…Usually a sign of great love."

"Love?" Alex looked up, his eyes wide with innocence. She smiled, brushing his raven locks back. Such a young boy. She saw it deep within his eyes. The boy was in love. Perhaps wouldn't know it until much later. She nodded.

"Which probably means she will want it back. A wedding gift from her mother, I have no doubt." She smiled. "Come on…You'll catch your death out here.

He followed her inside, gently pulling the necklace on as he slipped under the covers. She smiled to herself. The boy looked soo adorable. No doubt would make a fine husband to the young girl whom lost such a priceless artifact.

She sighed. She had wished Sirius had given her one. She knew for a fact that the old Wizarding families possessed such precious pendants, Lily having worn one on her wedding day. It had been set with priceless rubies, and had gold on silver designs. James had sent her over with it as a present from the Potter family to help reinforce the bonds being laid that day. She sighed as she curled up in her bed, her thoughts drifting back to the days of laughter and warmth, before the cold of her bitter break up with Sirius…

* * *

Harry yawned as he stood up, stretching. The sound of people walking around made him feel practically lazy. Draco ducked in, shaking his head.

"She'll have your head if you make us late, man…" Draco said, slipping in with a towel around his body as he took clothing out. He stepped into his bathroom, changing quickly. Harry merely growled, taking as quick a shower as he could and changed in the main bathroom while he heard Amanda screaming at him to hurry up.

When he came downstairs, barefoot, he glanced at the clock.

"Geez, Amanda…Its only ten thirty!" He growled, grouchily pulling his shoes on.

"I know…But we can't take the Floo…" Sirius said. "We are taking a Portkey…Come on…"

* * *

Alex looked around with interest as Monty, Quinn, and Evelyn both hugged him each in turn. Monty slipped something into his pocket as he stood back to look down at the boy with smiling eyes.

"You will make someone very happy one day, laddie..." He smiled. "Go on...The trains about to leave."

Alex turned to his mother, smiling sadly at her as she seemed to be near the verge of tears as well. They embraced again as Quinn hauled trunk inside, smiling as he reemerged. A train whistle blew somewhere near the front of the train. The conductor began heading down the line, passing each door, pausing only to cast a locking charm on it.

"Go on..." She gently pushed him towards the door. "Make sure you write!" She called, smiling as her son literally jumped from the place he was very near to the bottom, wide step inside the door. He waved, backing up as the conductor closed and locked the door. He ran to the compartment, almost stopping as he noticed its occupants. He ran to the window waving as the train gave a tug. He sat down, taking out the burgundy box from his pocket and sliding it over to the girl, who sat curled into a ball, her face buried in her arms. He cleared his throat, trying to smile as she seemed to glare at him.

"I think you lost that..." He said, nodding to the box. She seemed to stare at him in shock before she snatched it up and opened it. She nearly dropped it as she gave a squeal of delight, and enveloped him in a hug that made him momentarily forget that the boy from the robe shop was in the compartment was sitting across from them. A little girl their age appeared in the door. Alex gently disengaged from the girl, helping the boy haul the trunk onto a luggage rack. The girl shyly thanked him, sitting next to the girl as Alex sat near the boy.

"Hi..." Alex said, curling his legs under him as he tugged absently at his baggy short sleeve shirt over the green long sleeve under it. His baggy pants felt comfortable for the most part. He had his bandana on again, and a new necklace, one Quinn had searched high and low to find for on Evelyn's request. It was a silver chain with marble charms. Each charm was a creature, six in all. A bear, a lion, an eagle, a cat, a snake, and a wolf. Sitting on Alex's lap was his pet Nim, who was sniffing at the boy's hand as he seemed about to pet the small wolf crup.

"My name is Johnathan..." The boy said finally.

"Alexander..."

"Casey..." The blonde haired girl said, playing absently with one of her pigtails.

"Pandora..." The raven haired girl said softly. "Do any of you know how we are going to get sorted?"

"A hat..." Alex said, smiling mysteriously as they gave him odd looks.

* * *

A red haired boy poked his head in as Harry and Amanda started a game of Wizards Chess, Draco taking out a book from his trunk as the train gave an unpleasant lurch forward.

"Do you mind?" he asked, pointing to the empty spot near Harry. "Everywhere else is full."

"I don't care...Just...Don't stare..." Harry grumbled, frowning as Amanda quirked a smile at him as the boy nodded quickly shoving his trunk near the door and sitting down. His blue eyes flicked between Amanda and Harry, his eyes going to Harry's scar.

"Your the Potter twins, aren't you?" He asked slowly.

"Not overly bright, are you?" Draco asked, wincing as Amanda slapped his leg as the boy colored.

"That's a bit rich coming from you..." He said, his ears turning pink.

"Oooh...Such big words..." Draco said sarcastically, glaring at Amanda as she smacked his legs again, glaring back.

"Stop it...The both of you!" She demanded. When the red haired boy merely eased himself back, Draco merely shrugged, returning to his reading.

"Whatcha ya reading, Draco?" Harry asked, frowning as he studied the board.

"She's going to take your bishop with her Queen..." The boy siad, pointing to the open gap. Harry frowned at him, and Amanda glared at him.

"I have half a mind to take back what I just said..." She growled.

"Spoil the game for us, why don't you..." Harry grumbled, moving the rook in to block, which she took.

"Sorry...Just saying..." He said, turning red again.

Just as Harry was going to reply, the compartment door slid back and a pair of tall red haired boys walked in. Twins, by the looks of them.

"Fred...George...Come to taunt me?" The boy grumbled.

"No...Gosh..." The first boy did a double take. "Its Harry Potter..."

"Are you sure?"

"Dead sure..."

"You're going to be dead if you don't leave me alone..." Harry threatened. The boy stiffened, glaring at him, so they turned to the boy.

"Sure you wanna be sharing this compartment with this git?"

"Watch it..." Draco said.

"Look...Potter has a body guard..."

"STUPIFY!" Harry and Amanda said as one. Twin jets of red light sent both boys sprawling out the open compartment door. Draco sent a stunner at the red haired boy, who had jumped up to defend his brother.

"Weasleys..." Draco said, shaking his head. "All the same..."

"Wingardium Leviosa..." Amanda whispered, levitating all three into an empty compartment.

"Foul little red head lied, dear brother..." She said, shoving the trunk into the hallway. "There's an empty one next to ours."

"Figures..." Harry muttered. "Any sign of Alex? I wanna try that stinging hex Sirius mentioned..."

"Down, Harry...Down..." Draco chuckled.

Harry merely smiled sarcastically as he studied the board.

It was after the lady with her trolly had arrived and departed, asking them not to leave trunks unattended in the narrow hallway, that a rather bossy girl with somewhat large front teeth poked her head into their compartment.

"Have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville seems to have lost his." She said.

"No..." Harry said, rolling his eyes. He stopped when the round faced boy in question passed by their compartment.

"Longbottom?" He called. The boy appeared, looking surprised.

"Hi ya, Harry...Amanda..." He turned to Draco, making a gurgling noise as the boy playfully twirled his wand.

"Don't worry, Longbottom...I won't hex you..." He stowed it, holding out a hand.

"You're Harry Potter..." The girl said, her face surprisingly thoughtful as she saw Harry's scar.

"Am I?" Harry asked. "Here, I thought I was Draco Malfoy..." He sighed.

"What, I can't be you?" Draco pouted. "I can understand if its difficult...Head the size of yours..."

He laughed as Harry chucked a chess piece at him. He stopped it before it reached him, sighing and shaking his head.

"You shouldn't be using magic outside of school...You'll get into trouble, you know..." The girl said in her bossy voice.

"Well, we really appreciate you stopping by Neville, but we are kind of busy...What with breaking the rules and what not..." Harry said, sarcastically glaring at the girl, who seemed to turn a deep red.

"Fine...Don't come crying when you get sent back home on this train!" She said, stomping out.

"Like hell!" Harry called after her. Amanda merely rolled her eyes. Harry could be a stubborn brother. No doubt a trait he had acquired from Sirius.

* * *

"Is there a reason you wear that bandana?" Johnathan asked Alex as he sat back, his arm full of candy, which he placed on the seat between them. He invited the others to help themselves. He had bought enough for four hungry people. He'd even asked if they'd like anything.

"It's a good luck thing…Hope these are good luck too…" Alex smiled, taking out his necklace and playing with the marble figurines. He examined them curiously.

"Do they symbolize anything?" He asked.

"Besides the obvious?" Alex smiled. "Here…" He flipped the bear over. On the bottom was a rune. "That means Strength."

"Each has a trait…" Casey smiled.

"Yeah…Well…Sort of…" He shrugged. "Each has different traits, but these were the traits they were created for. The bear symbolizes strength, the lion courage, the cat magick, or mystery if you like, the wolf is independence, and I can't remember what the other two are for…" He frowned, examining the other two runes. "Ohh…Freedom and Healing."

"Snake?" Casey cocked her head to the side. "A snake symbolizes healing?"

"Kinda weird ain't it?" Alex smiled. He pulled his shirt collar down until he was exposing a pair of small, ghostly fang points. "That's where a Diamond Head Cobra bit me as a child…I'm pretty much immune to most poisons…"

"Was it a White Diamond?" Pandora asked shyly. Alex nodded. "I'm surprised you survived its bite."

"It only pumped about a few ounces of its venom in me…My mom is a great Healer. She had an antivenom ready after the Immunity Mark was done settling in my system."

"Immunity Mark?" Johnathan looked confused.

"A White Diamond Head Cobra, unlike the muggle snake in America, can confer an immunity to most, if not all, snake venoms if its bite lasts long enough. If it pumped a few ounces of venom into Alexander, than he would get an Immunity Mark, as its called." Pan explained.

"Your dad or mum work for the Ministry?" Alex asked, cocking his head to the side again. She nodded quietly.

"Did it hurt?" Casey asked. Alex nodded, releasing his collar.

"Knocked me out for near a month…But I did bleed for quite a bit before she poured Detoxin over the wound and slowed the spread…" Alex said, resting back again. "This bandana is from a trip to America to visit a griffon farmer…One of the cores for my wand…" He patted his waist belt gently.

"Your wand has two cores?" Johnathan looked surprised. "Does Mr. Ollivander know that?"

"He's the one my mom commissioned to create it. She took the hair of a noxtail and sent it off with the gold griffon feather to Mr. Ollivander." He smiled. "I think I gave him a hell of a time trying to find an adequate wand stock to mould this one from."

"Can you do anything we can't with ours?" Pan asked. "My mom has a dual core wand…She says Aurors usually have them so that they can fire their spells off faster."

"That…And an ease with spells the others will probably struggle with…" he shrugged. "But that's only because I study…" He smiled.

It was silent as they all went back to what they were doing, mostly reading.


	4. The Sorting Ceremony

Disclaimer: This fic is purely fantasy. It has not happened, though if one believes in multiple realties, perhaps it has. For your benefit, and my legal obligation, the obligatory shall now be spoken: I DO NOT OWN THIS! JOE ROWLING OWNS HARRY POTTER! Thanks. Now, please reply. Thank you again.

And now, on with the show…For your entertainment and pleasure…

Hogwarts Diaries:  
HARRY POTTER & ALEXANDER PRINCE  
Alternate Sorcerer's Stone

By Zodiac Phoenix

Chapter Three

Alex glanced up as a bushy haired girl opened their door and slammed it, slumping to the ground and sobbing before she realized that they were there.

"Sorry..." She mumbled, climbing to her feet.

"You can stay..." Casey smiled. The girl frowned, before she nodded and sank, gratefully between Pan and Casey, both girls wrapping arms around her.

"Who upset you?" Alex asked, looking away as she fixed him with a watery stare.

"That Potter..." She shook her head. "He's not very nice."

"I think you'll find Harry will never be what you expect him to be..." Alex said, watching the passing scenery in the dying sunlight. "I think we should change..."

"How do you know Harry Potter?" John asked as they took down robes and Alex merely pulled the robe on, adjusting his red bandana before he started to adjust his robes.

"We are unfortunately related..." Alex said, grimacing as he saw a familiar shadow pass before the compartment door, Harry sticking his face in and looking directly at the girl.

"Well, speak of the Devil..." Alex siad dryly, letting his hand fall to his belt, where it fell on the handle of his dagger. Harry ignored him, trying to catch the girl's eye. She was stoutly ignoring him. "I don't think she wants to talk to you, Potter..." Alex said in a firm voice.

"Why don't you let her tell me, than, Alexander?" Harry asked in a sarcastic voice. Alex was in front of him in a flash, his fists closing around Harry's collar and dragging him outside. He was against the wall in a heartbeat, Alex's face barely a few inches from him.

"Always the heart breaker, aye Potter?" He asked softly. "Never one to please anyone but your own selfish need?"

"What the hell is your problem?" Harry said, shoving him away. "I only wanted to apologize."

"Well, wonders never seize..." Alex shook his head. "Unless you truly are blind, she doesn't want to talk to you."

"Fine..." Harry said, adjusting his shirt. "Not like I'd want to associate with the likes of you anyhow."

"Feelings mutual..." Alex called after him, scowling at him before taking a post across from John outside the door, the curtains bang pulled across to give the girls some measure of privacy as they changed.

Groaning came from a few compartments down. Alex took out his dagger, stalking over and yanking the door open. A trio of red haired boys was sitting up, holding their heads.

"What the heck happened to you?" Alex asked, muffling a laugh.

"Shut up..." The smallest red haired boy siad, before his eyes went to the dagger. "You aren't allowed to bring weapons to school!"

"Who said anything about a weapon?" Alex smiled, stashing it away. "You should probably change...Its getting dark outside."

He vanished, stepping back in with John as the compartment door slide open.

He unfortunately ran right into Casey again, who was holding her robes for some reason. They fell onto the ground, Pan giving a small yelp of freight.

"Would you please stop putting yourself in my path, Miss Gardner?" Alex groaned, getting to his feet and helping her up. "I don't mind running into you, but people talk..."

She flushed a deep red, ducking her head. Alex flushed, realizing what he had just said.

"I don't mean it like that..." he said quickly. "I mean...Rats, I'm making an arse of myself already..." He sighed, sitting down and tugging her down to sit next to him. She fell onto his lap, smiling to herself as her pendant fell out of her robes and sparkled in the compartment lamplight.

"Is that a star jewel?" The girl with bushy haired asked suddenly, sitting down and holding it, examining it like a professional jeweler. "I've read about these...They're wedding gifts..."

"My mother's main bridesmaid gave it to her...We haven't heard from her, and my mom died a few years ago on a trip to the Australian Outback."

"I'm sorry..." Alex said softly.

"It's okay..." Casey smiled. "She passed away in her sleep. Daddy said she had some sort of muggle disease..."

"You mean cancer?" John asked in surprise. "I didn't think wizards could have cancer..."

"Mom says very few wizards and witches contract muggle illnesses..." Alex said. "I mean...we all get the flu and cold...That's normal...but stuff like cancer and diseases that kill so many Muggles..." He shook his head. "What was it your mother had?"

"I think they call it lung cancer...I'm not sure..." Casey sighed, curling up against him. "You're warm..."

Alex felt himself grow red again as the two girls both giggled at this. He gently placed her on the seat next to him, standing up.

"I'm going to check with the conductor about something..." Alex said, stepping out and slumping against the corridor wall. He felt his heart slow down a bit, and he thanked the nameless powers that he had so many layers on. He didn't know why his body was responding to her closeness like this, but it frightened him to think a girl could do this. Tonks never did this to him. Why Casey?

Soon, the others joined him. He tried not to look at Casey who was watching him, playing with her necklace as they were joined by a thronging crowd as the train slowly lurched to a stop.

A voice echoing down the train spoke dully. "We'll be reaching the school in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken up separately."

Alex glanced around, noticing that those who were the youngest were all looking nervous and expectantly, while the older students looked both excited and expectant. He played with his necklace, closing his eyes as he counted to ten, reigning in his body as he wondered whether he would ever again feel different about a girl.

The cold air bit into his clothes as he jumped down, holding out a hand to Pan and Casey, helping both down. It was something his mother had drilled into his head. How to be a gentleman, something his father apparently lacked unless he was trying to impress a girl. Casey thanked him, tucking her necklace into her robes as they huddled together glancing around.

* * *

Harry glanced around, wondering where the half giant from the parties they went to was, when a lantern and familiar voice called out.

"First years! First years over here please!"

"HAGRID!" Amanda and Harry greeted, smiling as the gentle giant smiled warmly at them. Harry growled as a familiar presence neared him.

"Darion...Your grand father was asking about you..." Hagrid said, greeting the short, well dressed young man.

"Yes...The ride was fine, Rubeus..." Darion said, smiling to the half giant. "How is our senile old goat?"

"He's fine..." A soft voice spoke. Everyone greeted the headmaster as he walked over. Alex was nearby, drawing close to Casey, watching the old man with some concern. What was going on?

"Harry..." He nodded. He nodded back.

"What brings you down here, Headmaster?" Hagrid asked gruffly.

"Ahh...Someone wished to have a word with me before the Sorting. Insisted on meeting at the Three Broomsticks. I shall be there for the Sorting, don't worry..." he smiled.

* * *

Alex watched him pass, drawing himself a little closer to Casey. It wasn't that he didn't trust the Headmaster. He trusted him completely. It was just that the old man had the ability to make you feel like you were being judged without much effort.

"Who was that?" Casey whispered. "He looks so familiar..." She whispered. Alex rolled his eyes, handing her Nim as he dug through his satchel, in the front pocket were he kept his Chocolate Frog Cards. He found it by the light of Hagrid's lamp as the giant of a man led them off down a narrow path towards the lake.

He passed her the card, taking Nim back as the young pup squirmed, barking softly at Amanda, who smiled, petting him.

"You didn't tell me you had a pet wolf, Alex..." She smiled.

"I didn't...Not until I went to get my school stuff..." Alex said. He didn't like Harry, but that didn't transfer itself to his sister like his uncle had transferred his dislike for Harry from James and Sirius' torture from their school days.

"Oooh..." She smiled, playing with the wolf pup before examining the collar. "Orion Nimbus?" She asked with some humor.

"Nim..." He held the pup up so he could whisper loudly to it. "This is Amanda Potter...Be on your best behavior around her." He smiled, the pup braking and lapping at her hand as she tried to pet the playful pup. Alex smiled. Crups were known to be the canine versions of Kneazles, and when bred with the intelligent wolf, they were exceptionally intelligent, perhaps capable of thought and memory. Not that one could fault anything with no memory.

"You'll get your first sight of Hogwarts in just a sec!" Hagrid called, causing Alex to look up in annoyance. "Just around this bend in the road here."

"Must he shout?" Alex growled.

"You know how Hagrid is, Alex..." She giggled. "I saw Quinn when we were in the robe shop. How is he?"

"The same..." Alex shrugged. "Look...No offense, Amanda. But from the glare your brothers are giving me, I think we should part for now...We can talk later." He said, tapping the mirror on his belt. She saw it, giggling again as she nodded. Alex glanced skyward, his breath caught. It was a crescent moon tonight. Only a few nights before the next full moon, and he was here. He had been a help for the research. Now he felt a bit put out.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called.

Alex helped Casey, Pan, and Amanda into two separate boats. He climbed with John into the boat with Casey and Pan, while Harry and Draco splashed into Amanda's, who held it steady for the bushy haired girl who was stoutly refusing to even so much as glance at Harry.

"I'm sorry..." Harry said as the boats launched themselves across the lake. "I'm a butt hole...Okay?"

"Your a jerk..." She said shortly, before looking away. Harry merely sighed, glancing at Draco, who shrugged, Amanda making a noise of disgust in her throat.

Everyone ducked as the boats neared the large crevice in the face of the cliff upon which the towering castle was built, its windows sparkling against the black, starry night sky. Alex glanced around as the channel bore them swiftly along a torch lit tunnel.

"This is man made..." Alex whispered.

"Duh..." John said softly, smiling as Alex glared at him.

"So...It means this is under the castle..." He said.

"Your point, Captain Oblivious?" John asked, smiling as Alex slugged him gently in the arm. The boy merely winced.

"Means, we're technically already in the castle..." He siad, sticking his tongue out, very childishly, at Harry and Draco, as he helped the three girls get out. The bushy haired girl had climbed out, refusing any help. She tripped and ran into Darion, who caught her.

"Careful..." he siad, trying to smile as she looked very upset.

"Excuse me..." She huffed.

He let go, rolling his eyes. Girls...

They followed Hagrid through a narrow passageway in the rock, coming out onto the dewy, dark front lawn of the castle, its shadow causing shivers to run down Casey and Amanda's backs. Alex pulled himself closer to Casey as Harry drew Amanda closer, but only because Darion was trying to catch her eye.

"Everyone here?" Hagrid asked. When he didn't get any reply, he shrugged, turned and raised his fist, beating three times on the door.

* * *

"Creek….Mwa ha ha ha!" Harry mimicked an evil laugh as a stern faced witch fixed him with a glare. "Come with me my pretties…" He murmured, get a few scattered laughs.

"That is quiet enough, Mr. Potter…" She said. "This everyone, Hagrid?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall…Is Professor Dumbledore inside?" He asked, shifting himself as he tried to peer past her.

:Yes Hagrid, he has just flooed back to the anti-chamber behind the Head Table." She turned to the others, pulling the door open. Hagrid past her. "Come along…" She said, turning and leading them inside. Alex peered into the double doors as they passed, the sound a hundreds of droning voices coming from within – the rest of the school were already there – and to a sort of anti chamber past the marble staircase. She stood aside as the passed, her eyes beadily watching them like a distant predator sizing up its next meal. She frowned at Alex's choice of clothing, making a noise in her throat as he adjusted his bandana.

"Welcome to Hogwarts…The start of the term ceremony will begin momentarily…" Harry zoned her out, glancing around. The mixture of fear, awe, and superstitious glances at smirking boys and girls made him wonder how many would be their house mates. One boy, the red haired boy he and Draco had stunned earlier, had a smudge on his nose that the bushy haired girl was trying, and failing, to subtly point out, but rubbing on her nose every so often. When McGonagall left, she took the opportunity to point at it.

"You have some dirt on your nose…Just there…" She pointed to it.

"I know that…" The boy snapped. "You think I'm a dolt or something?"  
Three wands were out, pointing at the boy.

"Play nice, red head…" Harry said in low warning. "We know quite a bit of nasty spell work…Hate to have you spend your first week in the hospital…"

"Harry…Draco…Darion…Please…" Amanda pleaded quietly. Harry glanced around, feeling his face blanch as the Headmaster stood in the door quietly watching. He nudged the other two, tucking his wand away.

"This isn't over…" He hissed.

"If you boys are quite done…I believe we are ready for you all now…" McGonagall said, nodding to Dumbledore. He stood aside to allow her to take them out. He did, however, wink at Harry and his walk placed him between the two twins.

"I do commend you on standing up for you fellow students, Harry…But a tad more discretion…If you please…" he said smiling as Harry nodded. He walked a little faster, taking a seat as she had them line up with their backs to the High Table.

She set a four legged stool in front of them, and on top of that a hat. It was tattered, frayed, and a tad dirty. In fact, Harry wondered idly if the hat had wallowed in a vat of slimy mud before being brought here.

Harry couldn't help curl his nose a little. _Can't the Hat of the Founders be a little cleaner?_

He zoned out the song, knowing that the hat was charmed to tell the new students and remind the old that each house had specific traits that they personified. He just hoped his brother and sister would be sharing the same house as he did.

* * *

Alex watched with detachment as people were called forward. He kept his fingers crossed behind his back, biting his lip as he watched people around him disappear to either of the four tables. He did notice that the house to the right of Gryffindor was a bit larger than the rest. He almost snorted. Hufflepuff. The house of duffers, as his mother had called it. Not that she would fault Hufflepuff with any faults. They had their loyalty and patience. Not a think to mock.

He watched Casey walk over, having slipped him the necklace. "Good luck…" He called softly. She nodded. He played with the necklace absently, wondering what it was that made this necklace so special. Nim merely lay at his feet, his bright amber brown eyes following students to different tables, his tails thumping a soft tattoo into the stone with boredom.

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouted for Casey, to which he silently cheered. Johnathan was also sorted to the same house, as was Pandora, surprisingly. He would have placed her in Ravenclaw because she was smarter than she looked. When he heard P's being called down, he let his hands drop to his sides. He slipped the necklace into his pocket, glancing around as he watched the Potters trod over to place the hat on their heads.

* * *

Harry heard his name called after he watched his sister join Draco and Hermione Granger at Gryffindor table. When Draco had been placed there, he cheered himself silently. Yes! The family was staying together! He smirked as he walked over. Darion was placed in Hufflepuff. What a dolt. He didn't expect the boy to be in Gryffindor..

Amanda sat down next to Hermione as Harry swaggered up to the hat amid soft laughter and pointed stares. People were more interested in Harry than Amanda. He was, after all, the Boy Who Lived.

"Hmm…Difficult, Very Difficult…Plenty of Courage I see…Not a bad mind either…And there is talent…Ohh, yes…And a thirst…To prove yourself…So where shall I put you?"

Gryffindor…Please, Gryffindor…Harry chanted to himself.

"Why Gryffindor? You could be grate you know. Its all here…In your head…Slytherin can help you along the road to greatness, there's no doubt about that."

NO! Harry yelled mentally. You won't separate me and Amanda, and you will most definitely not put me in that DAMN house! Voldemort was in that house! I will never be part of that house!

"Are you sure? Very well…Better be…GRYFFINDOR!" Harry felt relief wash over him as he snatched the hat, sat it down, bowed slightly and patted the edge of the hat before sitting down, smiling at the headmaster as he raised his goblet in a silent toast.

* * *

_Typical._ Alex thought. All the Potters have been in that house. They are the personification of Gryffindor. Wouldn't be surprised if they were related, and not just by blood.

"Prince, Alexander…" McGonagall called. When he sat down, he smiled to himself. He must look very odd, a red bandana and a muggle outfit, wearing a black set of robes.

"Hello…I see you are set to be with your friends…Yes, I am noticing that lately…Well? Which House do you wish to be part of? You have Ravenclaws intelligence, the courage of Gryffindor, and all the loyalty and cunning of Slytherin and Hufflepuff."

_Please, don't place me in Slytherin. My mother doesn't want me in Slytherin…_ Alex thought.

"If you are sure…Better be…Gryffindor!" The hat shouted happily. Alex smiled, patting the hat as he sat down, smiling as he looked up, seeing if the headmaster was intrigued or anything, but found his uncle as if he were about ready to explode.

"My necklace?" Casey whispered as he sat between her and Pan. He drew it, silently slipping it around her neck as she held her hair away. She tucked it under her shirt, smiling at him as he glanced around. He saw a few odd stares, and he merely shrugged. He felt a warm body rub against his leg and looked down, scratching little Nim as he plopped himself between them. Pan made soft cooing sounds, pulling him onto her lap as she played with the soft furry animal.

"What is that doing here?" A boy asked a tad coldly. He had a silver badge pinned on his robes. "You do know that animals are not allowed within this school?"

"Yes…Owls, cats, or toads…" Alex said, rolling his eyes. "I asked my mother to check, and the exact wording is that if it's a domesticated animal, than its okay to bring it…In fact, quite a few students have had canines over the years. As long as I don't lock him in the tower, he'll be fine…"

"He's half Crup…" Casey pointed out.

"He is?" Hermione asked in shock. "That's weird. I'd have thought Crups were unbreedable with wolves."

"Same could be said for Kneazles and large cats…Mom siad there was a successful crossing of a Kneazle and tiger…" He shrugged.

"Where?" Amanda laughed, looking interested.

"Africa…It was all over last weeks Creatures section of the Daily Prophet. Some sort of break through or something…" he rolled his eyes.

"Why on earth would Evelyn read the Creatures section?" Harry snorted.

"Because, Mr. Potter…My mother has more brains than my father…She's not just interested in the comics and crossword." He said rather emotionlessly.

"She was going to marry him," Amanda pointed out quietly.

"And who left whom?" Alex asked in a very quiet, deadly voice. She gulped, looking away as Harry glared at him. He merely smiled, turning away as they watched the last student, "Zambini, Blaise." Sorted to Hufflepuff.

Albus Dumbledore climbed to his feet.

"Welcome." He beamed, his voice echoing as he gave off the feeling of great energy. "Welcome to another magical year at Hogwarts. I have a few words to say before we begin the banquet. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you.":

Alex, Harry, Draco and Amanda were one of the only ones who laughed the loudest and gave Albus an impromptu standing ovation. He merely smiled, blushing slightly as he waved them off.

"Is he alright?" Casey asked, nodding to the headmaster as food suddenly appeared on the plates.

"Who, Dumbledore?" Alex snorted. "Of course not. The man's a hundred and sixty something years old…He's completely off his rocker!" He smiled, laughing as Harry and Draco snorted. Despite himself, he did love the company of those he could consider family. Perhaps this forced house relationship would mend the wounds that divided them.

"Who are your friends, Alex?" Amanda asked.

"You heard them when they were sorted…" Draco said, helping himself to steak and mince pie.

"Pandora, Casey…This is Harry, Draco, and Amanda…They are kind, despite their rather violent pasts…" He smirked as Harry glared at him and Draco tossed a bun at him.

"No food fights, if you please…" A stern voice spoke. Alex leaned back to look up into the stern, if rather bemused face of one of his favorite Order members.

"Hello, Auntie M…How are you?" He asked in a childishly curious voice. She rolled her eyes, pushing him gently back up.

"You must refer to me as Professor, Mr. Prince…And I shall ask you only once to not wear that bandana to my class…"

Alex pouted, batting his grey eyes at her. Amanda snorted. If it was one thing Alex was very good at, it was giving the large eyed, pouty stare.

"No…" She said softly. He hung his head, eating dismally as he played with the tie behind his head. Locks of glossy raven hair stuck out underneath it, giving him a perpetual child like image, something he didn't seem to care too much about.

"Do you wear that to bed or something?" Draco asked with a snort.

"No, Drakkie…" Alex said in a sing song voice. "Unlike you, I don't have something I wear to sleep…" he siad, smirking as Draco colored, Amanda made choking sounds over, and Harry tried very hard not to laugh about.

"What does he wear?" Hermione asked curiously, her eyes alight as Draco turned a deep, and interesting shade, of scarlet.

"Ohh…nothing…Just a…" Alex started to say before Casey clamped a hand over his mouth, Alex wincing as he glared at Draco.

"Sorry, Casey…" he muttered. "Trying to kick him, not you…"

"Its perfectly alright…" She smiled. "You…" She pointed her finger at Alex. "Behave…"

"Yes, house mother…" Alex siad in a childish voice that made her smile, her blue eyes sparkling as he nudged her with his body, sighing as he pretended to rest his head on her shoulder.

"What?" Draco asked, glaring at Alex.

"Do you still have Mr. Snuffles?" He pouted. Draco nearly choked, glaring at Alex.

"No…" he said in a hiss.

"Whose Mr. Snuffles?" Hermione asked, her smile growing wider as Amanda had to pat Harry on the back, as he seemed to swallow something in his fits of silent laughter.

"My teddy bear…A griffon teddy bear…He stole it a few years ago…" Alex sighed. "Something Sirius gave me before he decided to go chasing ghosts…"

"Alex…You know as well as I do that Draco torched that griffon bear…And he apologized…" Amanda said. Alex merely pouted further, rubbing his head a little further into Casey's shoulder, trying to make a teary eyed look, and merely looking as if he were laughing as Casey none to gently pushed his head away.

"What?" He glared playfully at her.

"Nothing…I'm trying to eat…" She said.

"Yes…Please…We'd all like to eat…Sometime tonight…" One of the red haired twins said.

"Don't let me stop you…Not that I'd think it would fit…" Alex said the last sentence in a softer voice, shyly looking away as both fixed him with a deadly glare.

"Making friends fast, are we, Alexander?" Darion asked, leaning over to talk with him. "Whose pet wolf is that?"

"Mine…" Alex said. "Name's Nim…You know…after that owl we found…"

"Oh! Yeah…The black barn owl…Wonder what happened to it…"

"Probably far enough from the both of you to be on the safe side." Draco said in an undertone.

"Ohh…Posh…" Alex rolled his eyes, waving it off. "Hey…Nimmie…Come here…" He gently took the squirming wolf from Pandora, who was having to wrestle him to her stomach. The anxious wolf gave an excited bark as Alex laughed, taking a piece of chicken and breaking it down, handing feeding the wolf pup as he tried to eat something.

Conversations slowly droned out one another as dinner continued. Hermione listened to half humorous tales of the misadventures of a holiday at the Manor, a place where, apparently, a lot of witches and wizards just gathered every Christmas. She wondered if they were part of some sort of group, and Alex merely said they were.

"Like a club…" Amanda said, hoping to stem the girl's curiosity

"Speaking of clubs…" Alex glanced around. "Is there a dueling club?" He asked to the older students. The unanimous shaking head made him shrug.

"Guess we'll have to start one then…" Alex sighed.

"Why would you want to start a dueling club?" Hermione asked.

"How many witches and wizards do you know know how to duel properly?" Alex asked.

"Not many…" Hermione said. "But who would you ask to start it? And what would be the name of our group?"

"Defense Group…Dueling Club…Dumbledore's Army…" Alex smiled at the last one, laughing as Amanda rolled her eyes. "The possibilities, Miss Granger, are quite endless…"

"And would this be a purely theoretical group?" The prefect Percy asked. "I don't think they would allow such a group…Some people would think you were starting a gang or something." He snorted to himself.

"A gang is generally a group of close friends…" Alex told him. "Our group would be open to the other three houses…Yes," he said glaring at Harry and Draco as they both made noises of disgust. "Even Slytherin…Not all of them are bad…"

"How would you know?" Percy asked.

"Because, my mother was in Slytherin…" Alex said rather angerily. Percy eyed him, as the other two red heads eyed him and Ronald Weasley did. With some manner of disgust.

"What are you doing in this house then?" Ron asked in a huffy voice. "Shouldn't you be with your Slytherin buddies?" He asked, glaring at Alex.

"No…Because the hat said I belong here…Unless you are quite deaf…Which I don't doubt you are, to some degree…"

When Ron colored, Alex superstitiously tapped the side of his nose, causing the boy to color deeper and duck his head out of sight. Casey nudged him, glaring at him. He merely shrugged, rolling his eyes.

"Nim!" Alex sighed. The excited pup was making whining noises. He got up, walking with the pup out of the Great Hall amid stares and sniggers. He sat on the steps, watching the pup run around, chasing rainbow colored butterflies. He sighed, sitting back as Casey joined him, holding out a plate of cookies.

"They're serving desert…" She said, sitting down. The wolf pup was having fun, at least.

"Come on, Nim…" Alex sighed. The pup came running back, his ears flopping as he held a rabbit in his jaws. He gently plied the bunny from the wolf, letting it go. "You've had enough to eat, buddy...Come on…" Alex sighed.

"I don't think he has…" A soft ancient voice siad. Alex merely glanced behind him. The baby blue belonged to the silver beard as the headmaster lowered himself to sit between them, offering them a silent lemon drop, which they declined. He smiled, watching the wolf pounce on the rabbit.

"I am curious if you have received your birthday presents yet…" Dumbledore said.

"Not yet…" Alex sighed. "Just Nim and this mirror." He patted the bronze mirror with the glass reflecting the crescent moon. "Mom has it enchanted so Grandpa Monty and me can chat with each other…He said she was going to work with him this year more closely than before…"

Albus nodded.

"I wonder…If Quinn arrived tomorrow, would you mind if he stayed?" Albus asked.

"Why is he?" Alex asked tonelessly.

"He might…Evelyn said she wished him to stay here to watch over you and Harry. She feels there is someone out to harm you both…"

"When isn't there?" Alex asked dryly. "Is there a reason your out here, sir?"

"Just admiring the night, Alex…Just admiring the night…" He smiled. "Come along, I must make my announcements, and I daresay Minerva shall be concerned about her new Gryffindors…"

Alex smiled, lifting the rabbit bearing wolf into his arms, muzzling his face into Nim's soft furry belly, smiling as the wolf growled at him. Casey giggled, playfully giving the rabbit a gentle tug. The wolf let it go, panting as Albus scratched him behind his ears.

"A very beautiful pup you have here…" Albus smiled.

"Quinn nearly had kittens when he saw them…Wanted to purchase them all…Be the hen mother…" Alex rolled his eyes. Albus merely chuckled as he led them back inside.

"Now that we are all watered and fed, I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce." Professor Dumbledore siad, resuming his place at the center of the table.

:First years please note that the forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden to all pupils…And a few of our older students should please remember that…" His sparkling blue gaze fell on the Weasley twins.

"I have been asked by our caretaker, Mr. Filch, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Hooch."

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did. He noticed that Alex stiffened a little, his eyes narrowing as he glanced up at the head table as if he hadn't heard the headmaster correctly.

"He's not serious is, he, Perc?" Fred asked in a low voice. The boy's older brother shrugged.

"Must be…" He said, frowning at the Headmaster. "It's odd, because he usually give us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere – the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

Alex seemed strangely distant, as if he were recalling something.

"Anything you wish to share, Alex?" Harry asked. The boy shook his head, his face pale as he connected eyes with Dumbledore.

"Now…Of to bed you all trot…" He said, smiling as he turned and spoke with the teachers gathering around him.

The first year Gryffindors followed Percy as he called for them to follow him. He led them through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase.

Harry felt his legs become like lead as they trudged up corridors, stairs, and doorways hidden by tapestries, portraits, or sliding walls. He nearly fell asleep on his feet, if it weren't for Draco's gently poking at him every time he felt his head dip towards his chest.

They finally arrived at a dead end corridor with a portrait of a very fat lady at the very end. She stirred as they neared, Percy glancing at them importantly.

"Password?" She asked.

"Caput Draconis…" he said, glancing back at them again as the portrait swung forward, revealing a hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it – Neville need a leg up – and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy arm chairs, low sofas, and round tables scattered around the edge. A few cabinets were against the wall, and an old grandfather clock was upon the mantle of the great fire pit, a stash of firewood sitting just inside an alcove, protected by a fine mesh grate on three sides.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase – the were obviously in one of the towers – they found their beds at last: eight, four poster bed hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already be brought up, laying near the door. They all seemed to tired to talk much; Harry and Draco took the first two beds to their right, Ron and a short round faced Irish boy taking opposite beds. Alex took the one opposite the doorway, sighing as he flopped onto the bed. To his right, Johnathan sat down, and the other two beds on his left were taken by the other two, Neville and a dark skinned boy named Dean Thomas. Alex patted his bed, Nim curling himself next to Alex, who had enough strength to pry the robe from his body and take his jeans off. He fell asleep in his two shirts, black boxers, and red bandana. Draco merely rolled his eyes.

"Should we haze him?" Harry asked, sniggering.

"And what would you suggest we do, my partner in crime?" Draco asked, smirking as John quietly tugged Alex's limp body further on his bed before closing his curtains.

"Leave him be, you two…" he siad, changing into a pair of striped pajamas and crawling under his covers.

"You his mum or something?" Ron asked.

"No…I'm his friend…Its what you call two people who are associated with one another…" John siad. "Like these two…" He nodded to Harry and Draco, who both sent Ron identical smirks. "You stand up for your friends…Or up to them, when the time calls for it." He shrugged. "Don't you have a friend?"

"Yeah…" The Irish boy said glaring at him.

"Alright then…" John shrugged. "Don't make such a big deal about it."

"You sure you're in the right house?" Draco asked quietly, arching an eyebrow at Johnathan, who nodded. "You strike me as more Ravenclaw."

"Courage to stand up to that bloke would surely put him here…" Harry said, curling up as Amanda and another girl appeared in their room. She trailed over to Alex's bed, peeking in. She giggled, extracting a sleeping Nim and walking over, sitting at the foot of Harry's bed.

"Amanda…Girls aren't suppose to be in the boy's bedroom…People might talk!" Harry said, wincing as Amanda whacked him on the arm.

"Sorry, big brother…Just came to tuck you in…" She said, hugging him and kissing his forehead. "Try not to have any nightmares…Okay?" She asked quietly.

"I won't…I have the dreamless sleeping potion…" he patted his pocket. "Padfoot gave it to me."

"Okay…" She smiled, glancing around. "Sleep tight…Don't let the bed bugs bite." She smirked as Harry growled at her. She blew a kiss from the doorway, her hands on the raven haired girl's shoulders as she closed the door behind her.

"She has a point you know.." Draco said quietly. Harry glared at him. "You've been having nightmares again…" Harry nodded, sighing. He took a quick drink from the potion vial, setting it on the bedside table. He made a face as he slipped under the bed.


End file.
